Micrometer adjustment for a stock feeding device

ABSTRACT

The device comprises a micrometer adjustment which is built into a ratchet-type stock feeding device for a power operated press. The ratchet-type feed is provided with spaced plates and the spaced plates are provided with parallel extensions to which normally the dragging arm is attached. In accordance with the present invention, the dragging arm is attached to a short shaft extending through a movable block which slides between the two plates. A micrometer adjustment slidably moves the block in any desired position. This provides for a fine adjustment of the drive stroke of the drive shaft.

Q w listed States Eetent 1 3,635,102 7 Sheen [4 1 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] MlQMfiMETER ADJUSTMENT FOR A 1,847,048 2/1932 Orr ..74/600 STUCK FEEDING DEVICE 1,3 69,l64 2/1921 Christopher ..74/600 [72] Inventor: Gary R. Skeen, 111 Pensylvania Avenue, Pfimary Examiner wmiam R O'Dea warwlcl" 02888 Assistant Examiner-Wesley S. Ratliff, Jr. [22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1969 A n y-M x Schwartz The device comprises a micrometer adjustment which is built $5.31. ..74/600, 74/44 into a ratchemype stock feeding device for a power operated n g g press. The ratchet-type feed is provided with spaced plates I 1 e a an I l 4 and the spaced plates are provided with parallel extensions to which normally the dragging arm is attached. In accordance [56] References Cited with the present invention, the dragging arm is attached to a UMTED STATES PATENTS short shaft extending through a movable block which slides between the two plates. A micrometer adjustment slidably 545,407 8/1895 Judd et a1. ..74/600 moves h block in any desired position. This provides for a 19,485 5/ 1 943 Alabmne fine adjustment of the drive stroke of the drive shaft. 2,859,667 11/1958 Teubner ...74/600 3,244,023 4/1966 Baringer et al. ..74/600 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Ml'ClltUh rllETEllt ADJUSTMENT FOR A STOCK FEEDING DEVICE My present invention relates to a stock feeding device, and more particularly to a stock feeding device having a micrometer adjustment.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a stock feeding device with means for making fine adjustments in the feeding mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a micrometer adjustment which can be built directly into the stock feeding device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a micrometer adjustment for a stock feeding device which is made with a minimum number of easily assembled parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a micrometer adjustment for a stock feeding device which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a stock feed hookup, showing the position of the control of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the micrometer adjustment as mounted on the stock feed and as illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the micrometer adjustment with the upper plate of the stock feed device removed.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the micrometer adjustment with the stock feed device in section.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the change in feed effected by the micrometer adjustment of the present invention.

Strip stock is conventionally fed through a power driven press by the use of roll feed. The stock passes between a pair of driven rollers which are intermittently turned to push the stock beneath the die. Power to the roll feed is often supplied by an indexer in the form of multipawl feed mechanism. Such a device is illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,591,933 issued Apr. 8, 1952 to Sulo Aijala. The conventional power press is provided with an enlarged flywheel having a diametric slot in which a bearing is adjustably mounted. A driving arm extends from the bearing to the indexer so that with a cam action, rotation of the wheel will cause a reciprocal motion of the driving arm and indexer to intermittently turn the roll feeds. This hookup can be controlled and adjusted by adjusting the position of the bearing on the wheel. However fine adjustments are difficult to make. The present invention is designed to provide an indexing device in which a micrometer adjustment is built into the device and fine adjustments can be made at the point of attachment of the driving arm.

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, FIGS. l and 2 show the general hookup in a power driven press feed. The power press is provided with a wheel it] having a slot 11 extending as a diameter across the wheel. An operating arm 12 is provided with a bearing l3 which is bolted in the slot ll. Rotation of the wheel Ill will therefore cause vertical reciprocation of the arm 12. Furthermore, it is obvious that the distance between the bearing 13 and the center of the wheel governs the amount of reciprocation of the arm 12. The roll feed (not shown) is provided at its outer end with the indexer mechanism M which is intermittently driven in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 by the vertical reciprocation of the arm l2. The bottom end of the arm I2 is normally attached to a laterally extending portion 15 of the indexer M. However, in order to make the micrometer adjustments hereinafter described, the indexer I4 is provided at the point of attachment with the adjustment device which is the subject of the present invention.

The multipawl indexing device M comprises a pair of spaced annular plates 16 from which the extended portions 15 integrally extend as shown in FIG. 4. In accordance with the present invention, each plate 16 is provided at the extended portion 15 with a wide deep groove 17 extending inwardly from the outer edge as illustrated in FIG. 4. The grooves 17 on each plate face each other as shown in FIG. 3. i now provide a rectangular carrier block 18 having a narrow portion 19 at each side slidably mounted in the grooves 17, see FIGS. 3 and d The driving arm 12 is connected to a short shaft 20 which extends through an opening in the block 18 and is provided with a mounting portion extending laterally therefrom as shown in FIG. 3. The shaft 20 not only extends through the block 18 but also through the adjacent extended portion 15 of the two plates l4. However, each portion 15 is provided with an oval slot 21 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4 which permits adjustable movement of the block 18 and the shaft 20 in the slot 21.

Adjacent one edge, the block 18 is provided with a transverse opening or passageway 22 having a restricted opening portion 23 at one end forming shoulders. Spaced from the rear of the block 18 and adjacent the inner end of the slots 17 is a pin 24 which extends across the plates 16. Mounted on the pin 24 is a rectangular block 25 from which an internally threaded tube 26 extends. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the tube 26 extends into the passageway 22 slightly more than half the distance. I now provide an adjusting shaft 27 having external threads at one end 28 designed to enter the internally threaded tube 26. Beyond the threads, the adjusting shaft 27 is provided with a collar 29 designed to engage the restricted shoulder portions 23 of the passageway 22 as shown in FIG. 5. The outerextended portion 30 of the adjusn'ng arm 27 is provided with a transverse opening 31. An enlarged knurled head 32 having a shank 33 is mounted on the portion 30 and a pin extends through the opening 31 to lock the head 32 to the shaft portion 30.

It should be noted that the shank 33 abuts against the sides of the block 18 and the collar 29 abuts against the inner side of the shoulders 23. This effectively locks the assembly of the ad justing shaft 27 and the knurled head 32 to the block. With this arrangement, turning movement of the knurled head 32 counterclockwise will cause the threads 28 to move to the right in FIG. 5 and this will carry the block 18 in the slot I7 to the right. Conversely, turning movement of the knurled head 32 clockwise will move the assembly and block 18 to the left. Thus a fine adjustment can be made by turning the head 32. In this connection, the shank 33 is provided with spaced graduations 34, see FIG. 6 which allow for a micrometer reading of the adjustment. Also, the top of the block is also provided with the graduations 35 so that the adjustment can be made in thousandths of an inch.

It should be noted that as the block 118 is moved in fine increments either to the left or right in FIGS. 5 and 6, it will carry the shaft 20 also to the left or right in fine increments. The effect of this adjustment is illustrated in FIG. 7. Assuming that the point 36 represents the center of the roll feed shaft on which the indexer 14 is mounted. Then the point 37 represents the shaft 20 and the solid lines 38 represent the feed stroke at this point. If the micrometer adjustment is used to move the block 18 carrying the shaft 20 outwardly to the point 39 then the feed stroke, assuming the same flywheel adjustment, will be infinitesimally reduced to the broken line 40. Conversely, if the micrometer adjustment is used to move the block and its shaft 20 to the point M then the feed is increased to the broken line 42. Note, that the increase or decrease in the feed stroke is small compared to the movement of the pivot point.

The device thus enables the larger adjustments to be made at the flywheel It) by adjusting the distance of the bearing 13 from the center of the flywheel along the slot 11. Fine adjustments can be then made with the micrometer device built into the feed mechanism 14. Since the indexing mechanism is already equipped with the integral extending portions l5 to which the lower end of the reciprocating arm 12 is normally attached, the addition of the adjustable block 18 carrying the short shaft 20 adds very little to the cost and assembly problems of the device. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

lclaim:

1. In a press feed having an annular body portion and spaced parallel portions extending peripherally from the body portion and wherein an adjustable vertically reciprocable driving arm is pivotally attached to the extending portions, a micrometer adjustment for adjusting the reciprocation of the feed, comprising means slidably mounted between the parallel extended portions, a shaft carried by said means, the driving arm being pivotally attached to said shaft, and means for making micrometer adjustments in the reciprocation of the feed by sliding said slidably mounted means between the extended portions toward or away from the center of the body of the feed, said means comprising a post at one end of said means having a longitudinal opening, a pin extending through said opening to anchor said post to said extending portions, the other end of said means engaging said slidably mounted means.

2. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein an internally threaded tube extends from said post into said slidably mounted means, and a micrometer shaft, externally threaded, passes into said slidably mounted means and engages the internal threads of said tube.

3. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein the spaced parallel extending portions are provided with opposed grooves, said slidable means being mounted in said grooves.

4. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein said slidable means comprises a block having a transverse opening, said shaft extending through said opening.

5. A press feed as in claim 3, wherein said slidable means comprises a block having a transverse opening, said shaft extending through said opening, and reduced portions on opposed faces of said block for mounting in said grooves.

6. A press feed as in claim 5, wherein an internally threaded tube extends from said post into an opening in said block, an externally threaded micrometer shaft extending into said block opening from the opposite side to said tube, said shaft threads engaging said tube threads, and means on said micrometer shaft engaging said block whereby axial movement of said micrometer shaft into and out of said tube will cause movement of said block. 

1. In a press feed having an annular body portion and spaced parallel portions extending peripherally from the body portion and wherein an adjustable vertically reciprocable driving arm is pivotally attached to the extending portions, a micrometer adjustment for adjusting the reciprocation of the feed, comprising means slidably mounted between the parallel extended portions, a shaft carried by said means, the driving arm being pivotally attached to said shaft, and means for making micrometer adjustments in the reciprocation of the feed by sliding said slidably mounted means between the extended portions toward or away from the center of the body of the feed, said means comprising a post at one end of said means having a longitudinal opening, a pin extending through said opening to anchor said post to said extending portions, the other end of said means engaging said slidably mounted means.
 2. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein an internally threaded tube extends from said post into said slidably mounted means, and a micrometer shaft, externally threaded, passes into said slidably mounted means and engages the internal threads of said tube.
 3. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein the spaced parallel extending portions are provided with opposed grooves, said slidable means being mounted in said grooves.
 4. A press feed as in claim 1, wherein said slidable means comprises a block having a transverse opening, said shaft extending through said opening.
 5. A press feed as in claim 3, wherein said slidable means comprises a block having a transverse opening, said shaft extending through said opening, and reduced portions on opposed faces of said block for mounting in said grooves.
 6. A press feed as in claim 5, wherein an internally threaded tube extends from said post into an opening in said block, an externally threaded micrometer shaft extending into said block opening from the opposite side to said tube, said shaft threads engaging said tube threads, and means on said micrometer shaft engaging said block whereby axial movement of said micrometer shaft into and out of said tube will cause movement of said block. 